1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of disposable dental floss holders which have a strand of dental floss secured to one or more gripping elements which aid a user to position the strand of floss between adjacent teeth for flossing.
2. Relevant Prior Art
The prior art includes a great variety of such dental floss holders including Y and F shaped handles with floss extended between the ends of the top arms of the Y and between the ends of the fingers of the F respectively. In many of these devices the floss is permanently secured to handle as by molding in situ or by heating each end of the floss to form a bead that prevents the floss end from being pulled through the solid plastic of the holder. In alternative styles the floss is releasably attached to the handle so that it can be readily replaced if frayed or broken. Some holders have a floss supply on a spool within the handle or they may periodically receive a totally separate segment of floss from a source external of the handle.
The relevant prior art patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,016,892; 4,006,750; 4,016,892; D 244,376; D 250,214; 5,086,792; 817,050; 4,403625; 3,696,821; 4,986,289; 3,799,177; 5,174,314 and 3,831,611 all incorporated herein by reference.
As these devices are usually mass produced in order to be manufactured economically, they are often designed to be aligned in production where a single strand of floss is continuous and contiguous between a plurality of dental floss holders, especially where the devices are injection molded and a strand of dental floss extends between a plurality of the devices.
A relatively newer prior art dental floss device consists of a pair of separate and independent gripping elements with a strand of dental floss extending between them. These gripping elements, are typically one half to one and a half inches long and have a variety of shapes including elongate, round, oval, flat, etc. Typically in mass production these devices are injection molded by aligning a plurality of devices with a single strand of floss extending contiguously between them. At the completion of the molding cycle and securing the floss ends to the handle or gripping elements the individual dental floss devices or units are cut from each other and readied for packaging.
In the latest described dental flossing device a pair of gripping elements is secured to ends of a strand of dental floss which extends freely and loosely between them, as it must for eventual use in flossing. However, between the time of initial manufacture and ultimate use these devices are collected, oriented, packaged individually or in groups, repackaged into shipping cartons, transported, stored and later displayed for sale.
A persistent problem that occurs with these devices is tangling and/or knotting of the floss, or random disorderly orientation of the units and floss and resulting unattractive or sloppy appearance of the product when the package is displayed or opened for use with the obvious negative impression and potentially negative impact on future sales.
A series of prior art patents to N. Charatan, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,519,408; 4,836,227; 4,633,892 and 5,174,314 disclose oral hygiene devices including, for example, a strand of dental floss between a pair of gripping handles where the strand of floss is isolated by encasing it in a frangible tube. Upon breaking the tube into two parts, the floss is exposed and the parts become handles. The device of U.S. Pat. N0. 5,174,314 is relatively complex and expensive in that the strand of floss must have an enlarged mass on each end, all of which must be sealed within a tune which must have reduced diameter necks. The other Charatan devices are equally or more complex, expensive to manufacture and not suitable for the simple, highly economical mass production of the new invention disclosed herein.
An object of this invention is to provide a flossing device with separate gripping elements at opposite ends of a strand of dental floss where the floss is maintained straight before packaging and while packaged, until the device is ready for use.
A further object is to provide a dental flossing device where the two gripping elements are temporarily joined in a structure that holds the strand of floss in an extended state, the two gripping elements being easily breakable apart and separated from each other by the user.
A still further object is for the gripping elements to be generally elongated and joined such that their confirmed length approximates the length of the floss and thus maintains the floss in a straight line until the gripping elements are broken apart from each other.
Another object is to provide a choice of gripping elements that may be a pair of identical elements or a set of different elements.
A further object is to include a pointed projection on at least one of the elements for use as a toothpick and/or gum stimulator.
Another object is to provide a frame which holds and maintains the gripper elements spaced apart with the floss extended between them, where the elements are breakable apart from the structure to render the set of elements and included floss freely flexible between them. Also, this structure may include a toothpick like projection.
An additional object is to provide a flossing unit where the flexible floss is maintained in a straight line, and the three elements, namely two grippers and the included floss are maintained as a fixed-shape unit that is easily and speedily handled during and after packaging.
Another object is to provide a flossing unit that can be moved, oriented and positioned in packages without dangling or tangling and thus can more easily be kept clean.
These and other objects are achieved with this invention as summarized and later described in detail below.